Thank You
by squishy fluff
Summary: DMHG one-shot created as a bday gift for Franz Alexa. Hermione still doesn't have a date to the grad ball. Pansy broke up with Draco. What will happen if the two go together? Will it be mayhem or romance? R&R pls!


**Author's Notes:**

Hello people! For the second time I created a Draco-Herm one-shot. It's actually fluffy but I promise you that it's cute! Just please have patience in reading this because it's quite long. But I didn't regret reading this! I hope you like it. Please read and review!

I made this fic as an advanced birthday gift for my best friend, Francesca, who also dedicated a fic to me. She's a wonderful writer, I tell you! Everyone loves her works. They're simply addicted! Thank you, best friend! I love you so much!

I like the Ron-Herm pairing but she likes Draco-Herm so I made this one. I hope you appreciate this! Thanks! ;-)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. Stop pestering me, okay?

* * *

**THANK YOU  
**_a one-shot fic dedicated to franz alexa_

"Hey Ron! Hey!" shouted Hermione, trying to catch up with Ron's big strides.

"'Mione, What's up?" he said, surprised to see that Hermione was very eager to tell him something.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else, we're blocking the way," Hermione told him as several students behind them were complaining. They passed several corridors until they reached a deserted place.

"Why are you looking so exhausted? Ah – let me guess – no one has asked you yet to the grad ball?" Ron asked while an evil smirk played on his face.

Hermione looked insulted by his answer. "And so what? Those boys judge girls by their looks alone. Just because I'm not beautiful doesn't mean I'm not fun to be with," she said sulkily.

"Calm down, 'Mione, relax," joked Ron. Hermione looked even more sullen. "It's not a good time for jokes, Ron. So, can I go with you to the ball? Gosh, I really must be desperate to be asking you," she said, chucking a bit. She smiled malevolently at Ron.

Ron looked affronted. "You! Yes, you are desperate because no one's asked you yet, not because you're asking me. Are you blind? I'm handsome," Ron said, irritated, but playful at the same time. Hermione snorted.

"Shut up Ron. So, can I go with you?" she asked casually.

Ron did not answer for some time. He wanted to give Hermione a bit of suspense. And then he laughed out loud like a maniac. Hermione scowled at him.

"'Mione, you really are desperate. I'm sorry, but I've already asked Luna Lovegood."

Hermione's eyes became wide with surprise. "What? You asked her? Oh Ron, why did you ask her! I'm not saying that she's not nice, but now I have no one to go to the ball with anymore," she said in the verge of tears. Ron patted her on the back.

"Sorry, 'Mione. But I promise! I'll try to find someone decent who'll go with you," Ron swore, sounding apologetic. Hermione smiled sadly.

"Thanks. But only a miracle can save me."

* * *

"No, I won't go, Draco, go to hell!" exclaimed an angry Pansy at Draco's face. Draco looked utterly worried.

"I promise you, she was just a fling! I wasn't the one who initiated that kiss! She pulled me close to her all of a sudden, and then gave me a smack, but nothing severer than that! I promise you, I don't love her!" Draco said desperately, trying to get Pansy back. Pansy glared at him.

"No, I won't believe you, you idiot! I really was stupid for believing you at first. How many times have you done this before? I'm tired, Draco, so just go and flirt with your other girls! And don't expect me to go with you to the ball! Good-bye!" she blurted out angrily. She started to walk out of the Slytherin common room. Draco tried to stop her, but in vain.

He slumped himself on the couch, looking hopeless. He covered his face with his hands.

"What am I going to do? I now have no one to go to the ball with," Draco thought, wanting to kill himself for his stupidity.

* * *

"Hey, 'Mione! Already found a date?" Ginny asked as she sat down beside her during breakfast. Hermione shook her head.

"No, I still haven't found one decent guy who'll go with me. Ron found none, too. Not one!" she cried, hardly slamming her hand on the table. Some Gryffindors turned to see who created the noise.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" Natalie MacDonald asked.

Hermione shook her head in shame. She did not want her failed attempts in finding a date to be broadcasted in the Great Hall.

"You still haven't found a date, have you?" Colin Creevey butted in. Hermione wanted to hex him at that moment for opening matters more.

"You know who Draco Malfoy is, don't you? That blonde seventh year in Slytherin? He still haven't found a date, either. Pansy Parkinson broke up with him," a fourth year informed her. Hermione frowned.

"If he's the only one left I'd rather go to the ball alone," she answered crossly. She then stormed out of the hall and headed to the common room.

She was glad to see that no one was in there. She sat by the fire and let all of her frustrations and anger out.

"I'll never go to the ball with Draco," she thought. "He's a bighead. A slimy ferret who always hides under her father's robes."

_But he's handsome, too,_ said a voice in her head.

"No! I don't care! And I wouldn't be able to stand his reaction if I ask him! He'll just make fun of me. No, not in a million!" she was angrily telling herself.

_But maybe he isn't so bad, after all, _the voice in her head insisted.

"Whatever!" she shouted, and then buried her face in her hands.

* * *

"Yuck! Granger? Ugh, not in a million," he answered after a sixth year student informed him of a possible subject.

"But she's the only one left. Well, you make your choice. You can go to the ball without a date, anyway," said the sixth year student. Draco grimaced.

"I'll look stupid if I go alone. Anyways, you can leave now," he domineeringly told the student. Soon, he was left all by himself.

"No, not Granger, she sucks," he kept saying to himself.

_But why not give it a try? And besides, they'll think you're just playing with her. And if she falls for it, you'll have the last laugh, _a voice in his head said.

"Yeah, it's possible," he thought.

* * *

Hermione was silently reading in the library, unaccompanied by any of her friends. She was so absorbed in the book she was reading that she did not notice a tall blonde boy sit beside her.

"Hello, Granger," greeted Draco. Hermione jumped, realizing someone was beside her, but after seeing it was Draco, her surprise turned to anger.

"What do you want? Go away, can't you see I'm busy reading a book?" she said sternly. Draco smirked, amused at her reaction. "So, it's the most important thing in the world for you, isn't it? No wonder no one has asked you to the grad ball," he said evilly.

"Go away, Malfoy. I don't care if I go alone," she told him bravely. But in her heart, she knew that she cared.

Draco chortled, provoking Hermione more. She gave him a threatening look, and then turned back to what she was reading. Hermione heard Draco sigh.

"Look, I know I'm stupid, but I don't have another choice if I want to go to the ball with a date. This will be the most laughable thing I will ever do in my life, but I'm swallowing my pride just to have a date to go with to the grad ball. I know I've given you a hard time all these years, but can you please forgive me for a while and go to the grad ball with me?"

Hermione, who was ignoring Draco, looked at him wide-eyed, thunderstruck at hearing his last words.

"WHAT? You're asking me to the ball?" she said so loudly that other people turned to stare at them.

"Granger, please don't make it hard for me. I despise what I'm doing right now, but I have no other choice. Please, quiet down," he pleaded.

Hermione remained speechless for a moment. She was mulling things over in her head. _What if I go with him? What will happen?_

"You don't need to be with me all night. I just need someone who I can call my date," he added.

_Yeah, it's possible! I can tell Harry and Ron that I just don't want to be dateless. But what if they don't believe me?_

"You can even tell your friends that you just want to make fun of me."

_Yeah, right! That's it! And then I'll have a date! Malfoy, you're a genius!_

"Okay, I'll go with you, but promise first that you won't do anything devastating on that night. If you do something offensive I'll leave you without a word and tell everybody how you flirted with a half-blood," Hermione warned him. Draco looked shock all of a sudden.

"You've seen that? Oh no, please don't tell anyone! I was just not myself at that moment! Oh, what will my father say if he finds out?" he said in a barely audible voice. Hermione smiled evilly.

"That won't happen if you promise," she told him. Draco looked as if it were the end of the world.

"Okay, I promise. But don't tell anyone or you'll pay dearly," he answered her. Hermione patted his head.

"Everything's settled, then," she spoke. She then stormed out of the library, leaving a worried Draco behind.

* * *

The day had come, finally. Girls could be seen chatting actively in the corridors. Most giggled whenever they saw good-looking boys. This irritated the trio. Hermione, most of all.

"I wish they'd stop giggling. It makes me really pissed off," she complained. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, it's unbearable. I wish they'd do it somewhere private. Anyways, let's go back to the tower, for peace and for silence. You also have to prepare for the ball, 'Mione," Harry told her. He then gave her the cutest wink ever.

"Yeah, now that you've found a date, you should be well prepared," Ron said. Hermione snickered.

"Stop it, okay? My date's really not that special," she told them both. Harry sniggered.

"Who is he then, 'Mione? Why aren't you telling us?" he complained. Hermione just gave him a mysterious smile.

"You'll find out who he is before this day ends," she said.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hermione was the last one to go down to the Great Hall. She wanted to be discreet because if she would go down with everyone seeing her, talking would be inevitable.

She looked incredibly beautiful that night, quite not her usual appearance. Her hair was tied into an elegant bun with some curled strands falling on her face. She did not apply much makeup, just a bit of eye shadow, blush, shimmering powder and pink lip gloss. Something in her was radiant that night, though. She was carrying herself confidently in her satiny white gown. She also wore transparent stilettos that made her look like Cinderella.

No one had seen her yet when she climbed down the stairs to meet Draco. Draco was looking very handsome, too. He was wearing an elegant black robe which contrasted with his hair and skin. He was also sporting a different hairstyle which brought out his handsome features. Both of them looked awesome that night.

Draco was starting to get pissed off because of long waiting. Feeling that someone was coming, he turned to give Hermione a sermon.

"Why are you so – "

He could not finish his sentence after he saw her. He was struck hard by her fairness that he could not say the right words. Instead, he muttered an unexpected word, coming from a Muggle-hater.

"Beautiful." He was too awed to prevent the word from slipping in his tongue.

"Thank you," she answered. "And you look very handsome in that robe, too. So, shall we?"

Draco, as if waking from a beautiful dream, suddenly came back to his senses and scolded Hermione. "Why are you so disrespectful of other people's time? I've been waiting for a whole hour. I wish you hasted even just a bit," he angrily complained.

"I'm sorry, I just want to be discreet, you know. Anyways, the ball is already starting. Shall we?"

Draco abandoned his anger and went to the Great Hall with Hermione. As soon as people spotted them, there had been an unbearable silence.

Ron and Harry were too surprised to greet Hermione. Other students were unable to say anything. The shock of seeing them together was so powerful that it took a very long moment for someone to speak.

"You look wonderful, Hermione! Come and join us!" Ginny said, trying to loosen the tension building up inside the hall.

All girls were looking very beautiful that night, but none of them surpassed Hermione's radiance. Pansy Parkinson, annoyed that Draco asked Hermione, was cursing under her breath.

"Let the dance start then!" Albus Dumbledore said, trying to get the attention of the students. The moment he spoke, the music started.

The first number was a fast dance. Draco and Hermione moved to the beat, dancing exuberantly. The dance required switching, so after some time, Hermione changed her partner. She was soon dancing with Ron.

"'Mione, why in the hell did you agree to become his date?" he said with difficulty, trying to catch his breath.

"I just wanted someone to go to the ball with. Not a big deal, really."

Before Ron could reply, they switched again. This time, Harry was her partner.

"'Mione, why did you go with that scumbag?" Harry asked her.

"I just wanted someone to go to the ball with. Not a big deal, really."

Soon after, they switched again. This time, Draco was her partner once more.

"You know Granger, I never thought you can be attractive. You always looked so bare and simple," Draco said with sincerity.

"That's what you think. I've always been cute, you know. Guys are just too blind to see that," she joked. Draco snickered.

"And I didn't know you have a very good sense of humor," he joked back. Hermione just laughed. She seemed to be enjoying Draco's company for the first time in her life.

More switches and the first dance ended. Hermione was exhausted with the first dance so she sat down and refused to go on with the next number. Draco accompanied her, also feeling tired. They decided to have their dinner.

Hermione peered over the menu and decided on what to eat. Draco did the same but found it hard to choose. All dishes seemed to be his favorite.

"What are you going to eat?" Draco asked Hermione.

Hermione coughed a bit and then spoke to her plate. "Fried chicken with French fries."

"That's it? Too simple." But all the same he ordered the similar food.

Both were eating heartily when Draco spoke.

"You know, I never knew that some mudbloods look cute when they eat," he said, staring intently at Hermione. She felt conscious,

"Have I not told you that I'm cute all the time, even when I'm sleeping?" she replied. Both of them laughed.

"No lie. You may not be a looker when you're just wearing Hogwarts robes, but you're cute."

"Shrug it off, Malfoy. Don't play games with me. I'm not stupid, you know." She continued to nibble her French fries.

"I know you're not stupid. I'm not forgetting that you're still the know-it-all," he answered. "And I realized that you're not so bad after all."

Hermione looked at him. "Of course I'm not. You're the one always taunting me, have you forgotten? And I actually don't know why I agreed to go with you."

"Because I promised not to make anything devastating," he reminded her. She smiled.

"Oh yeah. And you promised me because I know a dark secret of yours, remember?" she teased him. Draco's face turned whiter than ever.

"Don't threaten me, Granger. Oh, if my father knows," he said worriedly. Hermione smiled sweetly at him.

"I won't tell, I promise. I can keep secrets," she assured him. Draco gave her a thankful smile.

"And it's not bad to get acquainted with people like me, you know," she added.

Draco gazed at her. Hermione felt conscious again. She stopped eating her chicken for a while.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she complained.

Draco gave her a wide smile. "Nothing, I just felt like being mischievous for the time being."

Hermione's eyes widened. "If you do anything unpleasant, you'll pay!" she threatened him.

Draco laughed. This made Hermione even more nervous.

"Just kidding. Come on, let's dance."

A slow music was playing. Draco offered his hand to Hermione. She felt hesitant at first, but gave in after several persuasions.

They danced to the music like two angels. All who saw them were amazed at the chemistry they had while they danced. Their moves seemed to be made for one another.

Hermione felt peace during that moment. She did not expect to experience it with Draco Malfoy, but was grateful anyway.

Draco was feeling the same. His mind was telling him that dancing with Hermione was very wrong, but his heart was feeling otherwise. He surprisingly felt wonderful to dance with the know-it-all. It just felt so right.

The music stopped after some time. There were still more numbers but the two decided just to sit and watch the others.

Ron seemed to be enjoying Luna's company, and vice versa. Harry was enjoying his dance with Ginny as well.

It was already past eleven when the grad ball finished. Everyone was already going back to their dormitories. Before Draco Malfoy went to his, though, he first escorted Hermione to the Gryffindor tower.

"Hey Granger, thanks for being my date. I never knew I would enjoy your company. I appreciate it a lot," he told her. Hermione grinned.

"Thanks to the secret I know. Thanks to you, too," she answered. "I thought you would just spoil my time. But it was actually wonderful. Thanks again," she added. Draco beamed at her.

"That's nothing. I enjoyed more. So, friends?" He then offered his hand to Hermione. She beamed at him, too.

"Friends." And she shook hands with him.

"Good night, sleep tight," she said as good-bye. Draco looked happy with her concern.

"Good night, too."

Before Draco left her, though, she gave Hermione a small peck on the cheek. And then he went away like a bolt of lightning, blushing.

Hermione was smiling all the way to her sleep.


End file.
